Amateur Woodworker or Professional Woodworker?

I have been thinking a lot about the term “amateur woodworker”. The word “amateur” makes you sound like well…..an amateur. I know technically it means simply that you are not a professional but the term still has a slightly negative connotation to it. As for myself, well I am not even really sure how to describe my woodworking? I grew up and worked for many years building houses with my father where one of my main jobs was to build the cabinets and often furniture for many of the custom homes. Over the years I no longer work on the job sites but instead manage a projects and a construction company. So I am I no longer a “professional” since I don’t work with my tools at work anymore?

And what about the difference in the skill level between an amateur and professional woodworker? A professional woodworker is paid to because of their skill and artistic ability. They are expected to have a high level of quality and spend their days working on their trade. An amateur woodworker usually has a day job that they work at and only woodwork as a hobby for fun. But take a quick look around the web at sites like The Wood Whisperer or LumberJocks and you will quickly see that there are some amazing pieces made by what are considered amateur woodworkers.

It seems that in truth it really doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or professional woodworker, we all have a lot to teach each other.